Welcome to English for Career Development, a course created by the University of Pennsylvania, and funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of English Language Programs.
To enroll in this course for free, click on “Enroll now” and then select "Full Course. No certificate."
This course is designed for non-native English speakers who are interested in advancing their careers in the global marketplace. In this course, you will learn about the job search, application, and interview process in the United States, while comparing and contrasting the same process in your home country. This course will also give you the opportunity to explore your global career path, while building your vocabulary and improving your language skills to achieve your professional goals. The first unit in this course will introduce the U.S. job application process and provide strategies for identifying the jobs that match your interests and skills. Unit 2 will take you through the steps necessary to produce a professional-looking resume. In unit 3, you will work to develop a clear and concise cover letter. The final unit of the course focuses on networking and interview skills.
Anyone may take this course for free. If you want to get a Coursera Verified Certificate for free, please fill out the Financial Aid form.
Unless otherwise noted, all course materials are available for re-use, repurposing and free distribution under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution license.
Supplemental reading materials were provided by Newsela, which publishes daily news articles at a level that's just right for each English language learner.

Ministrado por

Brian McManus

Language Specialist

Robyn Turner

Senior Language Specialist

Transcrição

Hello, in this video we're going to talk about the level of formality in your cover letter. We'll discuss why we need to think about formality as we write it and look at some of the differences between formal and informal tone or style in a cover letter. To begin, let's define what we mean by level of formality. In English, as in many other languages, we use different words and grammar forms depending on the situation we're communicating in. So for example, if I am speaking with my close friend, I would probably use more informal language such as what's up Tony or how's it going, you going to watch the game tonight? However, if I am speaking or writing to someone I don't know personally and the context is more professional, then I should choose a more formal style of language. Therefore expressions such as, what's up Tony? How's it going? Could be incorrect or rude in that situation. If the person who reads my cover letter were to see such expressions they might be surprised, shocked or even offended by my level of informality. With this in mind it is important that you use formal words or phrases in your cover letter. Nowadays, many employers request that you send your resume and cover letter by email rather than by traditional mail. However, just because you are writing your cover letter in an email, does not mean you should write in an informal way, as if you are speaking with a friend, or a family member. For example, how should you address the person you are writing to? Should you say, Hi Mary, or Hi Mr. Smith, both of these greetings or salutations are too informal. A more appropriate one is, Dear Mr. Smith, if the person is a man, or Dear Ms. Smith, if the person is a woman. If you don't know the sex of the person you are addressing then, Dear Sir or Madam is a better choice. Likewise, in your closing it would be interpreted as too informal if you were to write Bye or Take care or Goodbye. A more formal alternative is Sincerely or Yours sincerely, and then you should follow this with your full name. In the body of your cover letter or email try to avoid using informal language. It's best not to use contractions such as I'm, you're, it's etc. Use the longer forms, I am, you are, it is. While these things might seem small to you, they will contribute to the overall professional tone of your writing. And help with creating a good first impression. Finally, let's look at an example of the opening of a cover letter. This one is written too informally. See what you think. Hi there, I saw your ad for a receptionist in the paper and I'm really interested in the job. Clearly this is too informal. In the United States this would not be acceptable and an employer who reads it might interpret the writer as not being serious or professional enough for the job. So, the message is, always try and be professional in any communication with an employer. Here's the sample rewritten, so it's now more formal. Dear Ms. Smith, I was very interested to read your advertisement for the position of receptionist in the Seattle Herald dated May 6th 2011. I would like to be considered for this job. In this video, we have looked at levels of formality in a cover letter, and discussed the differences between formal and informal styles. I hope you can see that using a more formal style in your cover letter is what's expected from an employer. Next, we'll look at controlling tone with modal verbs.